Not long after Sarang became Sarang and she was learning to read stories all by herself, Zoey - spurred on by fond childhood memories of Peter Rabbit - buys Sarang a copy of Jemima Puddle-Duck and a little figurine to match. The figurine looks silly, with her bonnet and shawl, but the story (another gift from one of her unnies! Sarang has so many gifts now and she still pauses to run her fingers over the spine in wonder that Zoey saw this, and thought it would make Sarang happy, and gave it to her because that was a thing Zoey wanted!) is going to be special.
Sarang wants to be able to read about Jemima, and she wants to be able to talk about the story with Zoey, but she's still learning and Sarang doesn't want conversations about the book to become something about Zoey teaching her. Her unnie is sharing this thing she loved with Sarang. If it becomes a series of reading lessons, it is not sharing any more. It would be about what Sarang has learned, not what they both liked, and Sarang does not want that. She wants this thing to be equal between them.
So she goes to Rumi, even though she knows that Rumi will not keep this a secret from Zoey. And Rumi sits with her and she reads the story to Sarang, all about how Jemima is tricked by Mr. Fox, who lets Jemima sleep on top of feathers and collects herbs to cook with, and then Jemima is rescued and goes back to her home on the farm and that is the happy ending.
After the story is done, Rumi puts it to one side and says, "Maybe don't ask Celine to read this one to you just yet."
Sarang knows enough - the things Celine had thought, how she wanted to keep them safe - to nod. "But she's not like a fox, though," she adds loyally. "He's supposed to be charming."
Rumi finds that very funny, even though Sarang hadn't really meant it to be, and then they get distracted talking about the difference between charming and manipulative, and how Sarang could tell them apart.
They both talk about the book with Zoey, because Sarang doesn't want Zoey to think that she doesn't like her gift, her special book, and Rumi offers to help explain when the words feel too much. And Zoey just cringes and says, "Oh noooo, I thought I was doing so well by avoiding The Ugly Duckling..." and then, of course, Sarang asks about the other duck story that Zoey did not tell her about, and then she reads The Ugly Duckling and decides that it is a better book than Jemima Puddle-Duck, because the animals look like real animals and do not wear clothes, but it is not really about a duck so it cannot be a very good duck story.
Sarang puts both books away on her bookshelf, which is slowly filling with books and photo albums and souvenirs from days out with her family. And they stay there, for weeks, until Celine offers to practice reading with Sarang and takes Jemima Puddle-Duck from the shelf before Sarang can stop her.
Sarang reads it, Celine helping her sound out some of the harder words but otherwise letting Sarang take the lead until they reach the part when Kep saves Jemima but they are not yet back at the farm, and Rumi's warning is sounding so loud in Sarang's head she has to close it and then take Celine's hands in hers (Sarang is allowed, Celine has told her - Sarang will always be allowed) and say, as furiously as she can, "You are not a charming Mr. Fox."
Celine blinks. She does not laugh, and Sarang feels how much she loves her mother bubble up inside her so strong she can taste it.
"And you are not a Jemima Puddle-Duck," Celine tells her, and Sarang nods very quickly because she is not a duck at all. She is a person. She has an ID card to prove it.
"You gave me a family," Sarang says, like Kep but not really. "You brought me home."
"Sarang, uri ttal," Celine says, and holds out her arms for a hug, which Sarang gives to her happily. Celine is asking! For a hug from Sarang! She wants Sarang to be close to her, and Sarang wants the same thing, and they can both share the wanting and the holding and the closeness for as long as they like!
They do, and then Celine smooths down Sarang's hair and runs her thumb over an imaginary crease in Sarang's t-shirt and then smiles. "Are you hungry? I'll get you some fruit."
"If that's what you want, Sarang."
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